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“Joey! Tony’s cryin’ and I don’t know how do make him stop, can you come help?!” Howard Stark yelled, to his husband, Joseph Manfredi, who was in the living room, trying to figure out how to put up a high chair.
“’Course, Howie, but can you come assemble out this high chair? You’re an inventor, I think you’d understand these instructions easier.”
“Sure,” Howard responded, walking into the living room and handing the screaming baby to the other man, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
“So, Tony, you givin’ your dad a hard time?” Joseph cooed, sitting on the couch to bounce the baby on his knee a little.
More crying.
“Mhm, I know, it be like that sometimes. Howard, what have you tried doing to calm him down so far?”
“I’ve given him milk, I’ve tried to put him down for a nap, and I’ve burped him.”
“Hmm, okay, maybe he just needs a little comfort,” Joseph said, readjusting his hold on the baby, so that his head rested on his shoulder, to rock him better.
After a few seconds, his screaming calmed down, and he began sucking his thumb.
Howard, noticing Tony was no longer screaming, got up to sit on the couch, next to his husband.
“How'd you do that?!” he marvelled, as Joseph put the arm not holding Tony around him.
“Just rocked him a little. Sometimes we don’t need material comforts, Howie,” he responded, as Howard lay his head on his shoulder and gazed lovingly at the baby in his husband’s arms.
“Joey?”
“Mm?”
“We're gonna be just fine, aren’t we?”
“Yes we are, Howie. Yes we are.”